DMK, AIADMK promoting mafias: BJP

Union minister of state for environment Prakash Javadekar claimed here on Friday that the two major Dravidian parties in the state are promoting the sand and liquor mafias in Tamil Nadu because they receive funds from them for their political campaigns.

“These mafias funds the parties and also give election money,” Mr Javadekar said on Friday.

The minister also alleged that the Dravidian parties have liquor barons and sand mafia groups within their parties and therefore these corrupt political parties promote their business interests.

However, the Central government has introduced a sustainable sand mining policy to prevent illegal mining. Under this new policy, all rivers will be mapped through satellites to identify the sand deposit in each river. “Mining will be allowed in the river beds only after assessing the sand deposit,” he said.

To implement it effectively, the Central government is also taking steps to introduce a compliance mechanism so that people can alert the government on illegal sand mining, Mr Javadekar pointed out.

Condemning the AIADMK government for filing sedition cases against anti-liquor protesters in the state, the minister said that it is the democratic right of people to protest against social evils like liquor. “I am really shocked that the ruling government has slapped the protesters with sedition charges,” he observed.

The minister also appreciated the new political developments in Tamil Nadu. “So far the people have been voting either for the DMK or the AIADMK, but now they have started looking for alternative politics,” he said.

Mr Javadekar said that the BJP is holding talks with friendly parties and it would soon announce the second list of candidates.

Addressing a public meeting on Thursday night, the minister said that people might think of the BJP as a weak party in Tamil Nadu, but they also shouldn’t forget the fact the party which won only two seats in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections rose to capture 282 seats in the 2014 election.

He also observed that both the DMK and the AIADMK are the parties of past, and the BJP is the party of the present and future. Mr Javadekar also assured the people that Jallikattu would be conducted next year.

State BJP chief Tamizhisai Soundararajan and other senior BJP leaders participated in the meeting.